The Detroit Lions are likely to target an edge rusher this offseason if they have the cap space to work with, in addition to a center, left guard, and safety. These are the true positions of need for the team as they consistenly face the most injuries at these spots.
While that's not the case for their edge rusher room, they still need to add more pop alongside Aidan Hutchinson if they're not completely sold on the viability of Al-Quadin Muhammad being a long term answer to that. Enter soon-to-be free agent Trey Hendrickson to that conversation.
Hendrickson, the Cincinnati Bengals' edge rusher who caused some drama for the organization by claiming they were lowballing him on a potential extension following a career season in 2024, has seen some slippage this year as the Bengals struggle overall with their defense again. With four sacks and one forced fumble through seven games, he's struggled to stay on the field.
Now, it looks like he's set to miss even more time with a core muscle surgery that'll keep him sidelined for about six weeks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. This surgery is running right up against free agency for Hendrickson, which could make him a bit more affordable for the Lions as they seek additional star power to slot in on the defensive line.
Hendrickson just got a lot more attainable with recent injury news
Hendrickson is likely to walk from the Bengals this offseason given how little they tend to try and pay out to their stars. It's genuinely a miracle that they paid out Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins last offseason, keeping their key offensive core together with Joe Burrow. But, Hendrickson is likely the sacrifice for that move.
Last offseason, Hendrickson was angling for a deal similar to what fellow AFC North star Myles Garrett received, so in the range of $30 million dollars a year on a deal of about three to four years in length. However, he and the Bengals simply couldn't meet eye to eye on that. Right now, it's looking like Cincinnati may have been smart to be patient with extending Hendrickson given his injury woes.
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Detroit has several key extensions to discuss, specifically one for superstar running back Jahmyr Gibbs. He may be the only guaranteed extension to be getting done by Detroit anytime soon, with others up for extensions including Sam LaPorta, Jack Campbell, and Brian Branch.
Next year, the Lions have cap space to the tune of $4.8 million, with Jared Goff, Taylor Decker, and Aidan Hutchinson hitting their cap hard, per Over The Cap. Some cap maneuvering, or trades, will have to get done to free up more space for moves even cheaper than anything they'd want to hypothetically offer Hendrickson.
But, with this recent injury update, it feels clear that Hendrickson will be a lot more attainable than previously thought.